$2,700 Gaming PC Build, Any Good?

Ok, I see. How important is g sync and free sync at high frames, just curious if maybe I should be looking for a monitor that supports g sync fully if its really important. Thanks for the input.

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freesync and gsync are more important than spending the equivalent money on the highest performing parts IMO, because they allow a middle tier frame rate experience to feel as fluid as a top performing system. Not only that, but it eliminates frame tearing. You get smoothness of motion and no frame tearing in your synced range.

Typically with AMD Freesync it's 48hz and above to the monitor max.
With Nvidia Gsync it's always 35hz to the monitor max.

After using both, and as a gamer for nearly 30 years at this point, I think it's the biggest improvement to the gaming experience in the last decade. It's one of those things that you experience and you think oh this is a nice little improvement, but it's not that big a deal, and you get used to it, and then if it's taken away you think holy crud I miss it - it's a huge deal to have it and have it taken away. That's my opinion.
I personally can't tell the difference in gaming between 75Hz and 144hz with freesync in some A/B testing I did - but I can defiantly tell when freesync is on or off.

There isn't much difference, not enough to be concerned about anyway between freesync and gsync, but frankly Nvidia typically has the better/faster graphics card market secured, and AMD has an almost as good card with an almost as good driver --- and so weigh that choice into the mix.

I'm not a fan boy of either brand - I've used many different cards and I personally would buy either without hesitation. I'd give the slight nod to Nvidia's offerings though -- if the same price and the same performance was offered and you had to pick a brand based on my last few years of experience with driver quality.

I almost like Freesync better than Gsync because Gsync has this annoying characteristic you have to figure out how to dodge in that if you exceed your monitors max G-Sync rate with your video card's max output you get a momentary studder as you enter or leave the G-Sync range. There are several work arounds, I think they are all lame. (rivia tuner doesn't work with everything, turning on V-Sync in the NVidia driver control panel limits your FPS your monitor max, but then adds wee bit of mouse lag back in because it's using vsync again). Freesync doesn't have that issue, if you exceed your monitor sync max there is no hitch The difference on the lower frame rate side favors Nvidia's gsync. The Nvidia g-sync minimum is always 35hz, and most Freesync monitors use 48Hz as the minimum to freesync range. If the option is 48Hz to 75Hz with Freesync, or 35hz to 120Hz with Gsync -- the larger sync range is going to be better and more accommodating to a larger degree of game titles. However my experience with freesync over a year span was exactly that - 48Hz to 75Hz, and I really enjoyed it without question. So long as you could keep your minimums above 48FPS it was silky smooth on my triple HP Omens. No fuss.

Ok, I see. How important is g sync and free sync at high frames, just curious if maybe I should be looking for a monitor that supports g sync fully if its really important. Thanks for the input.

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Archaea gave a pretty good answer, it is one of those things you have to experience with and without it to fully appreciate it.

Sorry for not answering part of high frames, at higher frames, animations looks much more smoother vs low frame rate monitors, whereas gscyn and freesync are adaptive sync technology where the monitor refresh rate is sync with the game FPS to prevent screen tearing without the added latency from vsync.

freesync and gsync are more important than spending the equivalent money on the highest performing parts IMO, because they allow a middle tier frame rate experience to feel as fluid as a top performing system. Not only that, but it eliminates frame tearing. You get smoothness of motion and no frame tearing in your synced range.

Typically with AMD Freesync it's 48hz and above to the monitor max.
With Nvidia Gsync it's always 35hz to the monitor max.

After using both, and as a gamer for nearly 30 years at this point, I think it's the biggest improvement to the gaming experience in the last decade. It's one of those things that you experience and you think oh this is a nice little improvement, but it's not that big a deal, and you get used to it, and then if it's taken away you think holy crud I miss it - it's a huge deal to have it and have it taken away. That's my opinion.
I personally can't tell the difference in gaming between 75Hz and 144hz with freesync in some A/B testing I did - but I can defiantly tell when freesync is on or off.

There isn't much difference, not enough to be concerned about anyway between freesync and gsync, but frankly Nvidia typically has the better/faster graphics card market secured, and AMD has an almost as good card with an almost as good driver --- and so weigh that choice into the mix.

I'm not a fan boy of either brand - I've used many different cards and I personally would buy either without hesitation. I'd give the slight nod to Nvidia's offerings though -- if the same price and the same performance was offered and you had to pick a brand based on my last few years of experience with driver quality.

I almost like Freesync better than Gsync because Gsync has this annoying characteristic you have to figure out how to dodge in that if you exceed your monitors max G-Sync rate with your video card's max output you get a momentary studder as you enter or leave the G-Sync range. There are several work arounds, I think they are all lame. (rivia tuner doesn't work with everything, turning on V-Sync in the NVidia driver control panel limits your FPS your monitor max, but then adds wee bit of mouse lag back in because it's using vsync again). Freesync doesn't have that issue, if you exceed your monitor sync max there is no hitch The difference on the otherside favors Nvidia's gsync. The Nvidia g-sync is always 35hz, and most Freesync monitors use 48Hz as the minimum freesync range. If the option is 48Hz to 75Hz, or 35hz to 120Hz -- the larger sync range is going to be better and more accommodating to a larger degree of game titles. However my experience with freesync over a year span was exactly that - 48Hz to 75Hz, and I really enjoyed it. So long as you could keep your minimums above 48FPS it was silky smooth on my HP Omens. No fuss.

Thanks for the very in depth explanation, I was a bit confused on the importance but then I read what you wrote and looked up some more videos about it and I can definitely see the difference between either free sync or g sync compared to v sync or the unwatchable no v sync. Thanks for clarifying that. I guess I just didn't anticipate the monitor being one of the bigger spends but since it seems to be worth it I think I'll stretch a little more for a nice monitor with, in my case, g sync. I do have a quick question for you, I was looking at VA and IPS panels but was having a hard time choosing between better picture or fast response. In your experience has the change from a 1ms panel to a 4ms panel made much of a difference? is it noticeable to a degree? Anyways I appreciate the input, thanks for responses guys!

Remember in junior high when you had a stop watch and you’d try your best over and over to start/stop it as fast as you could. Did you ever get 4ms consistently?

No

Nobody did

Human reactions aren’t that fast.

I just tried it on my daughters wrist watch four times

My worst was 28ms
My best was 10ms and that’s dedicated focus to the task.

I asked my 9 year old daughter to do her best. Her best was 18 ms out of proabaly 30 tries.

You can’t think and preform to that speed and so it’s just not important.

For quality some people like VA for the nicer contrast and black levels. People like IPS for the most accurate colors. I’ve used both and like both.
The negatives are VA panels often ghost white to black with a little blurring, and IPS have what’s called IPS glow in that they don’t have exceptional deep black contrast.

The general preferences are typically IPS->VA->TN

There can be some crossover in those preferences, but that’s a general rule.

Nobody wants a TN except those fooled into buying one by marketing specs. harsh, but true IMO.
Yellows and white gradients are often indistinguishable with a TN panel and viewing angles are notorious bad where if you aren’t directly in front of the panel the colors and contrast goes to crap — think cheap laptop screen. They are generally cheaper - still not worth it.

Again I’d wager huge money that 90% of gamers would choose a nice 100hz IPS or VA monitor with variable sync in practical daily mixed computer use with gaming as a primary focus over a 165 or 240hz TN panel monitor. (And the one that wouldn’t is color blind or just a contrarian).
I host LAN parties fairly regularly and only the greenhorns have TN panels - you can immediately tell which ones they are by the crappy screen image as you walk around the room, before you ever hear them bragging about their 165hz refresh rate and 1ms pixel response - expect one guy, one of my regulars who always is buying TN panels yet constantly asks me why my monitors look so much better than his on the same content. When I tell him why for the 10th time he says ‘but I don’t want to give up my 165hz.’

Remember in junior high when you had a stop watch and you’d try your best over and over to start/stop it as fast as you could. Did you ever get 4ms consistently?

No

Nobody did

Human reactions aren’t that fast.

I just tried it on my daughters wrist watch four times

My worst was 28ms
My best was 10ms and that’s dedicated focus to the task.

I asked my 9 year old daughter to do her best. Her best was 18 ms out of proabaly 30 tries.

You can’t think and preform to that speed and so it’s just not important.

For quality some people like VA for the nicer contrast and black levels. People like IPS for the most accurate colors. I’ve used both and like both.
The negatives are VA panels often ghost white to black with a little blurring, and IPS have what’s called IPS glow in that they don’t have exceptional deep black contrast.

The general preferences are typically IPS->VA->TN

There can be some crossover in those preferences, but that’s a general rule.

Nobody wants a TN except those fooled into buying one by marketing specs. harsh, but true IMO.
Yellows and white gradients are often indistinguishable with a TN panel and viewing angles are notorious bad where if you aren’t directly in front of the panel the colors and contrast goes to crap — think cheap laptop screen. They are generally cheaper - still not worth it.

Again I’d wager huge money that 90% of gamers would choose a nice 100hz IPS or VA monitor with variable sync in practical daily mixed computer use with gaming as a primary focus over a 165 or 240hz TN panel monitor. (And the one that wouldn’t is color blind or just a contrarian).
I host LAN parties fairly regularly and only the greenhorns have TN panels - you can immediately tell which ones they are bragging by the crappy screen image, before you ever hear them bragging about their 165hz refresh rate and 1ms pixel response - expect one guy, one of my regulars who always is buying TN panels yet constantly asks me why my monitors look so much better than his on the same content. When i tell him why for the 10th time he says but I don’t want to give up my 165hz.

He can have it.

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Haha, ok thanks for clearing that up. when it comes to visuals I'm usually kinda picky so I think moving from the TN panel is a good choice for me. I'm currently on the look out for 2k either VA or IPS panels with g-sync and 27 inches or bigger and I came across these, they're a little pricey but its nearly impossible to find a good monitor with g sync that not round $150 more than its counter part. what do you think?

Haha, ok thanks for clearing that up. when it comes to visuals I'm usually kinda picky so I think moving from the TN panel is a good choice for me. I'm currently on the look out for 2k either VA or IPS panels with g-sync and 27 inches or bigger and I came across these, they're a little pricey but its nearly impossible to find a good monitor with g sync that not round $150 more than its counter part. what do you think?

I’d go with the 32” there because I personally like the slightly larger pixels per inch for windows since even in Windows 10 scaling still sucks.

32” 1440p is the same PPI (pixels per inch) as 24” 1080p. If you like a 24” 1080p then it’s the same thing for text only a physically larger screen showing twice the pixel area. It’s fine for me, but different people have different subjective preferences here and you’ll have to determine yours.

If you think a 24” 1080p pixel is too big, then go with the 27”. But again no way I buy a 27” screen for $700. I’m looking at buying a 34” ultrawide near that price.

In fact the Alienware AW3418DW has been as low as $720 and it’s widely considered the best gaming monitor currently available. Certainly for ultra-wide at least.

I’d go with the 32” there because I personally like the slightly larger pixels per inch for windows since even in Windows 10 scaling still sucks.

32” 1440p is the same PPI (pixels per inch) as 24” 1080p. If you like a 24” 1080p then it’s the same thing for text only a physically larger screen showing twice the pixel area. It’s fine for me, but different people have different subjective preferences here and you’ll have to determine yours.

If you think a 24” 1080p pixel is too big, then go with the 27”. But again no way I buy a 27” screen for $700. I’m looking at buying a 34” ultrawide near that price.

In fact the Alienware AW3418DW has been as low as $720 and it’s widely considered the best gaming monitor currently available. Certainly for ultra-wide at least.

Ok, I see. I'll definitely do some more digging to see what I'll find but that Alienware monitor does look very nice but maybe just a tad out of price range (unless it hit somewhere $700 then I'd stretch for it). I'll definitely later down the line save up for one like that. Who knew that the monitor was gonna be one of the hardest decisions in the build lol. Thanks for your advice! and I'll check out the site.

Ok, I see. I'll definitely do some more digging to see what I'll find but that Alienware monitor does look very nice but maybe just a tad out of price range (unless it hit somewhere $700 then I'd stretch for it). I'll definitely later down the line save up for one like that. Who knew that the monitor was gonna be one of the hardest decisions in the build lol. Thanks for your advice! and I'll check out the site.

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It sure is, probably since monitor is one of those things you upgrade the least, the Alienware AW341DW is a very nice monitor, do note, the based for the monitor is huge.

It sure is, probably since monitor is one of those things you upgrade the least, the Alienware AW341DW is a very nice monitor, do note, the based for the monitor is huge.

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lol will keep in mind. I want to get your advice on this, would it be better to get a cheaper (but still good monitor, maybe like a TN since a good VA or IPS monitor are expensive with g sync) and use it for a while and save up for a really nice monitor down the line? Or should I just buy it outright? Because too me I don't want to cheap out on my components for my PC as I those are the most important but a monitor I can easily replace in the future. I was just curious on what you're two cents were to aid my decision. Thanks for your time.

Hmm a TN Gsync panel will still run about 400-500 bucks for a 2540x1440 resolution 27 inch display, not exactly cheap. I would get the monitor Archaea recommended as it is a VA panel with freesync that can be use on Nvidia card that doesn't break your bank. While it is not on Nvidia compatibility list now, it probably will be in the future with an update from Nvidia, even so, you can still force Gsync on the Freesync monitor.

I use to own a Dell S2716DG, a 27 inch TN panel with Gsync, it is a pretty good monitor for a TN panel but it cost me 500 when I bought it in 2016 before upgrading to an AW341DW.

Hmm a TN Gsync panel will still run about 400-500 bucks for a 2540x1440 resolution 27 inch display, not exactly cheap. I would get the monitor Archaea recommended as it is a VA panel with freesync that can be use on Nvidia card that doesn't break your bank. While it is not on Nvidia compatibility list now, it probably will be in the future with an update from Nvidia, even so, you can still force Gsync on the Freesync monitor.

I use to own a Dell S2716DG, a 27 inch TN panel with Gsync, it is a pretty good monitor for a TN panel but it cost me 500 when I bought it in 2016 before upgrading to an AW341DW.

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Ok so if it goes on the compatibility list then it should be able to run g-sync normally? Because if thats the case I'll just wait to see if the monitor goes on the list and if It does I'll buy it on the spot. It seems like a really nice monitor but my only setback is the no g-sync but if that can be fixed then sweet! Anyways thanks for the input.

Ok so if it goes on the compatibility list then it should be able to run g-sync normally? Because if thats the case I'll just wait to see if the monitor goes on the list and if It does I'll buy it on the spot. It seems like a really nice monitor but my only setback is the no g-sync but if that can be fixed then sweet! Anyways thanks for the input.

Thanks, very helpful

Also, I'm gonna post my build after all of your guy's input and see what you think of it. I think I'm just about done I just want to see what you guys think of it. Anyways thanks for the help!

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It should be no issue once Nvidia update their patch to officially support the monitor, it should be running as advertise. Archaea does have this monitor and have tested it with his GTX 1080 but his experience did varies running adaptive sync. The other option is buy a official supported freesync monitor, it should be cheaper than the Gsync counterpart.

So I wanted this CPU for the longevity of the 8 cores but without sacrificing the gaming performance so I figured I don't mind spending $40 more for extra 2 cores. Thanks for the tip Archaea and Chimpee.

If I dotn have enough money for the Alienware then I'll get this but I'm kinda leaning towards the Alienware but we'll see where it goes not to mention that the MSI monitor is top of my list if it become compatible.

Also why is it that there are like 100s of different RTX 2080s and they're all different prices? How do I know which one to get? They all seem to have the same overclock and such I was just curious on the differences in design and price.

I have a hard time signing off on your build man, but you have to decide for yourself.

I think that’s overpriced but I’m a value shopper.

It doesn’t matter what 2080 you buy. Just get a cheaper one with the cosmetics you want. Benchmarks show the overclock are about the same. If you watch for sales on some of this stuff you could save yourself like $400 off your current price.

The Alienware 758 keyboard for $85 is prettty much the same keyboard as your Corsair RGB 70 for $30 cheaper. It has the volume roller control too which I really like (as does the Corsair 70 RGB keyboard)

At the resolution you are looking for 3440x1440 - (I hope) if you go with ultra-wide.

You’ll not notice much difference in CPUs with that resolution because your GPU will be the bottleneck, and G-sync will make both feel perfectly smooth. If you want Intel, for the extra speed you want Intel, but I can’t see spending $300 extra for a very small gain. ($410+240 = $650) for Intel. $270 + $100 ($370) for AMD Ryzen 2700X. Also that Intel doesn’t have hyperthreading. I’ve no idea if the next console generation will have SMT (AMDs version of hyperthreading) but if it does you end up in the same boat as a six core for future proofing concern against the next console technology.

Toms Hardware votes for a AMD Ryzen 2700x over a 9700k in the following article. If they were the same price it’d swing towards Intel, but you have to determine if the extra $300 is worth it to you.

I have a hard time signing off on your build man, but you have to decide for yourself.

I think that’s overpriced but I’m a value shopper.

It doesn’t matter what 2080 you buy. Just get a cheap one. Benchmarks show the overclock are about the same. If you watch for sales on some of this stuff you could save yourself like $400 off your current price.

At the resolution you are looking for 3440x1440 - (I hope) if you go with ultra-wide.

You’ll not notice much difference in CPUs with that resolution because your GPU will be the bottleneck, and G-sync will make both feel perfectly smooth. If you want Intel, for the extra speed you want Intel, but I can’t see spending $300 extra for a very small gain. ($410+240 = $650) for Intel. $270 + $100 ($370) for AMD Ryzen 2700X. Also that Intel doesn’t have hyperthreading. I’ve no idea if the next console generation will have SMT (AMDs version of hyperthreading) but if it does you end up in the same boat as a six core for future proofing concern against the next console technology.

Toms Hardware votes for a AMD Ryzen 2700x over a 9700k in the following article. If they were the same price it’d swing towards Intel. You have to determine if the extra $300 is worth it to you.

Side by side 2700X vs 9700k with a 2080ti video card. Intel wins. Is it worth the $300?

As an alternative thought, if you put that $300 towards a 2080ti in combination with a 2700X, you might come out ahead.

But that Intel is a good CPU. If you have a Microcenter nearby, they usually have the best processor prices.

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Those cases look great, I'll do some more browsing to see which one I like best but the all seem viable. would you recommend a "full tower" or a "medium tower" I'm not sure how the spacing will work out that's why I ask.

Ok thanks for the clarification on the 2080, I just thought there might be differences between them, or at least important differences. I'll look for the cheapest one.

I'll most definitely buy the Alienware on sale but hopefully it goes on sale within the next few months. As for the keyboard, the Alienware one does look nice and I don't think I want to spend so much on my keyboard that I have listed now so I'll do some more looking around.

I didn't realize that about the 970 evo so I'll probably look around for another. Also didn't know the H115 was cheaper, I'll have to get that then. thanks for the tip!

I agree with you I dont think its a $300 difference for the CPU but I thought the 9700K was $410 and the 2700x was $310 so there was a $100 difference which I was willing to pay. Am I missing something? I'm a bit confused where your numbers are coming from.

Again thank you so much for another in depth explanation for me, it really helps to smooth out my knowledge as I was pretty bare bones in my knowledge not too long ago. Thanks, you're awesome!

At some point you put all of our opinions aside, form your own, and move forward without regret or guilt because you got what you want. Any of these things we are talking about will make a good system.

At some point you put all of our opinions aside, form your own, and move forward without regret or guilt because you got what you want. Any of these things we are talking about will make a good system.

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Ahhhh ok that makes more sense, you were pairing them with the motherboards. I'll be sure to pick what will make me happy lol. I'll think about it a little more but I don't think I could really go wrong with either one.

Mid tower is plenty big enough for most anything. Full tower is bigger still. That’s a preference thing.

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Ok I wasent sure if pieces wouldn't fit in a medium case or something like that.

Anyways, Thank you guys so much for helping me out along the way. This thread was way more useful then I could have ever imagined so thanks for taking the time too help out a newbie lol. I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on what happens and when I build it (wish me luck on that, I have a friend who can help me out so I'm not too worried). Thank you guys! Have a great day! Also feel free to post on this thread some more, I'll be checking still.

So I wanted this CPU for the longevity of the 8 cores but without sacrificing the gaming performance so I figured I don't mind spending $40 more for extra 2 cores. Thanks for the tip Archaea and Chimpee.

If I dotn have enough money for the Alienware then I'll get this but I'm kinda leaning towards the Alienware but we'll see where it goes not to mention that the MSI monitor is top of my list if it become compatible.

Also why is it that there are like 100s of different RTX 2080s and they're all different prices? How do I know which one to get? They all seem to have the same overclock and such I was just curious on the differences in design and price.

Again that you guys, it really helps!

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Hmm my concern regarding getting H500 is airflow from the front but listening to Steve from GamerNexus, it is fine with negative pressure.

Then use the $75 Dell gift card for your keyboard/mouse or a laser printer or headphones or speakers whatever other accessory. Just note that most of those accessory type purchases that you’d use the gift card on at Dell.com would be just straight MSRP, so you’d want to buy an item you can’t find a good sale on elsewhere.

I highly recommend that Alienware monitor. It has a full replacement 3 year premium monitor, pixel perfect warranty through Dell. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, or if there is even one single bad pixel, Dell sends you a new one. That’s the best monitor warranty out there. (Most monitor return policies are you can’t return for up to 3 or even 7 dead pixels) And the Alienware display has been tested to have the lowest input lag of any 34” gaming ultrawide.

As we’ve discussed, if you peicemeal these parts out buying them when they are on these deep sales like the monitor today you could save yourself easy $400-$500 on this build and acquire all the parts over the course of a month or so.

Then use the $75 Dell gift card for your keyboard/mouse or a laser printer or headphones or speakers whatever other accessory. Just note that most of those accessory type purchases that you’d use the gift card on at Dell.com would be just straight MSRP, so you’d want to buy an item you can’t find a good sale on elsewhere.

I highly recommend that Alienware monitor. It has a full replacement 3 year premium monitor, pixel perfect warranty through Dell. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, or if there is even one single bad pixel, Dell sends you a new one. That’s the best monitor warranty out there. (Most monitor return policies are you can’t return for up to 3 or even 7 dead pixels) And the Alienware display has been tested to have the lowest input lag of any 34” gaming ultrawide.

As we’ve discussed, if you peicemeal these parts out buying them when they are on these deep sales like the monitor today you could save yourself easy $400-$500 on this build and acquire all the parts over the course of a month or so.

So now your talking $80 more off. Which makes the cheapest that monitor has ever been at $645!

If you don't already have a befrugal account you can use my referral link and we both get an extra $10.
befrugal.com/rs/SCTNAIE/

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Oh my goodness that kills me! How long is the sale? I can't get it right now but in a few weeks I can. How often does it go on sale, do you think it'll go on again within the next 2 or 3 months? Because that kills me to miss a deal like that. Well I really appreciate that you told me about it, that really is a great deal. Thanks for the tip.

I was worried about the cooling in the case, I'll check out the vid. thanks!

Oh my goodness that kills me! How long is the sale? I can't get it right now but in a few weeks I can. How often does it go on sale, do you think it'll go on again within the next 2 or 3 months? Because that kills me to miss a deal like that. Well I really appreciate that you told me about it, that really is a great deal. Thanks for the tip.

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No idea. But i can almost guarantee it won't be two week. If I had to guess it'd be a day or two.
It'll go on sale again 2-3 months from now if patterns hold, but I don't think you'll find it for $645. That's about 80% below the normal sale price because of that particular high ebates and befrugal 10% rebate at Dell happenstance matching with the Dell sale on the Alienware.

No idea. But i can almost guarantee it won't be two week. If I had to guess it'd be a day or two.
It'll go on sale again 2-3 months from now if patterns hold, but I don't think you'll find it for $645. That's about 80% below the normal sale price because of that particular high ebates and befrugal 10% rebate at Dell happenstance matching with the Dell sale on the Alienware.

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ok I see, well it looks like I'll have to wait until another sale. I'm just glad that there'll most likely be another one. I just don't have the money right now and that happened to be one of the most expensive components of my build lol. But my plan is to buy the parts as they go on sale until I hopefully have all (or most) of my parts. Thanks for telling me about the sale.

ok I see, well it looks like I'll have to wait until another sale. I'm just glad that there'll most likely be another one. I just don't have the money right now and that happened to be one of the most expensive components of my build lol. But my plan is to buy the parts as they go on sale until I hopefully have all (or most) of my parts. Thanks for telling me about the sale.

Hey guys, quick question. I'm looking at my pc part picker list and I am being given this warning, is this a problem?

The motherboard M.2 slot #1 shares bandwidth with a SATA 6.0 Gb/s port. When the M.2 slot is populated, one SATA 6.0 Gb/s port is disabled.

What does this mean?

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Basically when you use a m.2 drive, you are taking up certain amount of bus lanes. If you use a m.2 ssd instead of a regular ssd, it takes up the bus lanes that would be normally dedicated to the SATA ports. I normally see this is a non issue since your average user never populated every single SATA ports.